Austrian court postpones extradition of Ukrainian oligarch Firtash to United States

Wednesday, December 27, 2017 11:00:03 AM

Interfax-Ukraine reports that the Austrian Supreme Court has postponed the extradition of the Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash to the United States. The decision of the Austrian Court of Appeals was thus annulled, said Firtash’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, on Tuesday, December 26.

"The Supreme Court ordered a stay of Mr. Firtash's extradition pending its review," the lawyer said.

He also added that the case was suspended until the European Court of Justice delivers a preliminary decision on the applicability of the EU Charter on Human Rights to the appeal against Firtash's extradition.In addition, Davis recalled that on December 19, the Vienna Superior Court of Justice finally rejected the request of the Spanish prosecutors to extradite Firtash.

As previously reported, Dmytro Firtash was arrested in Austria on March 12, 2014 at the request of the US authorities. He is accused of using of $18.5 million in bribes to obtain permits for titanium extraction in India. The oligarch faces up to 50 years in prison and confiscation of all assets.